


You Could Build A City In My Hair

by countmeaway



Series: C'mon and Lift the Fog [6]
Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M, Mpreg, Post Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21788014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/countmeaway/pseuds/countmeaway
Summary: He’ll stand in that ring and wrestle until his knee is no longer repairable, until he’s forced to retire, whatever it takes to bring Triple H down, once and for all.
Relationships: Dean Ambrose | Jon Moxley/Seth Rollins | Tyler Black
Series: C'mon and Lift the Fog [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/540724
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33





	You Could Build A City In My Hair

Seth’s chest feels tight, almost like he can’t breathe, but it’s nothing compared to the sharp pain in his knee, the way it feels like it’s a second from snapping and giving out again, barely able to hold even the slightest weight as he limps back to his dressing room.  
  
He should’ve known Triple H was going to try something to take him out before WrestleMania. He should’ve gotten to him first, should’ve snatched the damn contract and signed it immediately before Triple H had a chance to say anything, to do anything, before he had a chance to bring Seth’s family into this.  
  
He should’ve said screw the WrestleMania match and beat the shit out of Triple H right then and there for even daring to bring up Dean and Hadley.  
  
But he didn’t. He didn’t. He showed too much, he said too much, gave too much of his feelings away, but goddammit, Triple H and the bullshit lines he peddled were the reason Seth lost everything: Dean, Roman, himself. It was the reason everyone hated him, wished him dead, stopped caring about him.  
  
But like he told Triple H, this isn’t about revenge, it’s about redemption. It’s about redeeming himself in the eyes of everyone. He knows he doesn’t have to when it comes to Dean and Roman, that they’ve all moved forward from it, but a part of Seth hasn’t, a part of him won’t until he can slay the king, until he can end that chapter of his life for good.  
  
He’ll do whatever it takes. He’ll stand in that ring and wrestle Triple H one-legged. He’ll stand in that ring and wrestle until his knee is no longer repairable, until he’s forced to retire, whatever it takes to bring Triple H down, once and for all.  
  
The referees that were helping Seth back to his locker room disperse once Seth has the door opened, and he hops on one leg until he can get to the chair, collapsing down onto it with a groan. His hands go to his knee immediately, massaging what he can through the open spaces of the brace. It does little to alleviate the pain.  
  
If his knee feels like this now, he’s not sure if he’s going to make it through WrestleMania without blacking out from the pain.  
  
His phone vibrates in his pocket, and he groans again, straightening his leg to pull it out from his front pocket. By the time he’s dug it out, it’s stopped ringing, but it starts up again immediately, a picture of Dean and Hadley on the screen.  
  
Seth’s hands shake a little as he swipes his thumb across the screen to accept the call. For Dean to call twice in a row, with barely a second between them? Something’s gotta be wrong. The baby, Hadley, Dean, Seth doesn’t know, but this can’t be good, his heart a stampede.  
  
”Everything okay?” Seth asks, trying to sound as calm as possible. Between his knee and the worry that something is wrong, there’s a fine tremor in his voice that he hopes Dean doesn’t pick up on.  
  
”Where are you?” Dean asks, loud and rough in Seth’s ear.  
  
”At the arena,” Seth says, brows furrowed. Dean knows where he is, what city, what state. There’s a calendar on the refrigerator with this month’s itinerary on it, so that way Dean always knows where he is, how long it’ll be before he’s back.  
  
“Jesus, okay,” Dean says, a deep sigh hitting Seth’s ear. “I fuckin’ hate this, Seth. I hate this unsanctioned match. I hate Triple H. I hate it all. I can’t stand seein’ you get hurt like this every week.”  
  
”I know,” Seth says softly. “But I have to do this, Dean. I don’t care—I don’t care if it costs me my career. At least then I’d be home with you and Hadley.”  
  
It’s where he wants to be most, anyway. As much as he loves wrestling, as much as wrestling was his first love, the thing he wanted to do more than anything in the world, it’s not anymore. He has a family: a fiance, a daughter, and a baby on the way.  
  
”Goddammit, Seth, don’t say shit like that. I’ll fuckin’ tie you to the bed and make sure you don’t go anywhere,” Dean says, sounds like he’s seconds from yelling, voice dropped down into that deep, chastising tone.  
  
”I’m sorry,” Seth apologizes, rubbing a hand over his face. This is so hard, so frustrating, not just for him, but for Dean, too. “I just—I have to do this, babe, and I need you to support me. As ruthless as Triple H can be, my career may very well be over on Sunday, and I just need you to support me.”  
  
”I will always support you, Seth,” Dean replies, tone softening. “But you were just out for a month because Joe fucked up your knee for Hunter. Did I like havin’ you home? Yeah, of course I did, but not like that, not because you were in pain, because you had to take time off to rehab your knee.”  
  
”I know. I’ll be as careful as I can be, but I’m doing this match. Whatever happens, happens.”  
  
That’s all he can offer Dean. He’s not backing down, backing out. Not now that Hunter’s dragged his family into this.  
  
”You know I’ll be there, me and Hadley, cheerin’ you on,” Dean says. “So you better kick his ass.”  
  
”I will,” Seth promises, shifting the phone to his other ear. “How are you? Everything okay at home?”  
  
”Oh!” Dean exclaims. “That’s the other thing I was callin’ you about. That place we used to go to by the arena? You remember that place?”  
  
Seth looks around the room in confusion. “Yeah? What about it?”  
  
”Seth,” Dean says, stern, serious, “I need you to get me some of those fries.”  
  
Seth pulls the phone away from his mouth to huff out a sigh. Cravings? Really?  
  
”Those fries are going to be disgusting by the time I get home with them, Dean,” Seth points out, because cold fries? Gross. No one wants that sogginess in their life.  
  
”I don’t care, Seth,” Dean says. “I need those fries. Right now. Your child wants the fries.”  
  
When he was pregnant with Hadley, Dean didn’t have much in the way of cravings, or, if he did, he never let Seth know. Seth never had the chance to do the middle of the night grocery store runs to sate any craving Dean was having, and there’s a part of him that’s so ridiculously pleased that he can do this now.  
  
”Fine,” he says, feigning annoyance. He knows how Dean can get when he feels like he’s being babied or coddled, and Seth doesn’t want Dean to start feeling like he’s being made fun of, like he’s being mocked.  
  
”Thank you,” Dean says, a rushed exhalation of air like he thought Seth was seriously going to say no. “When’ll you be home?”  
  
”Four, maybe five hours. You gonna be asleep?”  
  
”Probably. Forgot how exhausting it is carryin’ a baby, and havin’ Hadley.”  
  
Seth frowns. He wishes he were allowed more time off, time off where he’s not hurt, not in rehab for almost half the day, but it’s just not feasible right now. WrestleMania is this upcoming weekend, and he’s going to be even busier. He has interviews and signings all weekend, and Dean and Hadley are going to end up being cooped up in a hotel room for hours on end.  
  
”I ain’t tryna make you feel bad, Seth,” Dean says, when Seth hasn’t said anything. “It’s the life of a wrestler, and it ain’t easy to have a family. I know—I know you wanna be here with us, but I know you love wrestling, too. Me and Hadley and the baby, we’ll always be here for you. Wrestling? You only got so many years for that, less if Triple H gets his way.”  
  
Seth swallows around the lump in his throat. He’s so goddamn grateful and lucky that Dean is as understanding as he is, that he doesn’t begrudge Seth still being out on the road more than he’s at home with them. “I know,” he says, after clearing his throat. His voice still sounds rough, hoarse. “I’ll be home soon. I love you.”  
  
”Love you, Seth,” Dean says. His phone beeps to let him know the call has ended, and Seth tosses it to the side with a sigh.  
  
He changes into a pair of track pants and a faded t-shirt of Dean’s, throwing his ring gear into a suitcase. The faster he gets out of the arena, the faster he can get Dean’s fries, the faster he can be home.  
  
\--  
  
The lights are on when Seth pulls into the driveway. It’s disconcerting. Hadley’s been sleeping through the night for awhile now, and Dean’s pregnancy means he’s sleeping as much as he can, which is whenever Hadley is asleep, or whenever Seth is home to take her.  
  
He leaves his bags in the trunk of the car, grabbing the soggy takeout bag from the front seat before he closes and locks the doors. The front door to the house is unlocked, which means Dean is waiting up for him.  
  
Or, not so much waiting for him as passed out on the sofa, hands folded protectively over the curve of his belly.  
  
Seth closes the door and locks it, toeing off his shoes. “Dean,” he says, a hand on Dean’s shoulder, carefully shaking him awake. “Babe, c’mon, let’s go upstairs.”  
  
Dean’s eyes blink open slowly, a sleepy smile coming over his face. “Time is it?” he asks, rubbing his eyes.  
  
”Late,” Seth replies, “little after 3.”  
  
Dean hums, sitting up. “Got my fries?”  
  
Seth wrinkles his nose, but hands Dean the bag nonetheless. “You really gonna eat those?”  
  
Dean’s response comes in the form of him opening the bag, pulling out a handful of fries and shoving them into his mouth, looking up at Seth with a grin. He chews and swallows, says, “You’re the best,” then proceeds to shovel another handful of fries into his mouth.  
  
”You enjoy those,” Seth says with a grimace. “I’m gonna go check on Hadley.”  
  
”She’s sleepin’,” Dean says between mouthfuls. “Don’t wake her.”  
  
”I know, Dean.” Seth feels a flare of irritation lick across his skin. Hadley is his daughter, too, and if he wants to wake her, he’s going to wake her. He’ll stay up with her until she goes back to sleep.  
  
The door to the nursery is open a crack, a sliver of light spilling out into the hallway. Seth pushes the door open, moving quietly across the room. Hadley isn’t sleeping. She’s blinking up at the zoo animal mobile hung over her crib, gnawing at her fingers.  
  
She shrieks in delight when she sees him, and Seth can’t help but grin. “Dada!” She sits up, her arms out, signaling that she wants Seth to pick her up.  
  
”Daddy says you should be sleeping, Hadley-bug,” Seth says, even as he picks her up, holding her close to his chest. “You missed your Dada, didn’t you? Dada missed you, so much.” He drops kisses to the top of her head, over and over again, breathing in the smell of baby shampoo, of his daughter.  
  
He sits down in the rocking chair, Hadley bundled against his chest, his hand moving up and down her back. “You excited to see Dada wrestle again, Hadley-bug?”  
  
Dean and Hadley have only been to one event since Seth went back to wrestling after having eight weeks off. She doesn’t remember that, and Seth’s certain she won’t remember this one, either, but he loves sharing these moments with his daughter anyway.  
  
”Yeah,” Seth continues, holding her a little tighter. “Dada is excited for you to be there. Been waiting for this match for a long time, sweetheart. That man—he’s the reason your Daddy and I stopped talking for so long. He almost took everything away before we could ever have it.”  
  
Seth knows that he can’t lay the blame solely on Hunter, that it was his fault for believing everything Hunter was selling, but if he would’ve just left him alone, Seth never would have allowed those thoughts to creep in, the ones that said he was better without his brothers, that they were doing nothing but holding him back, that it was their fault he was seen as the weak link, that Dean and Roman were going to outshine him and leave him in the dust.  
  
”But your daddy and I? I used to call us wrestling soulmates, but I think we’re just soulmates. Meant to be together forever, no matter what. He’s my other half, Hadley-bug, and I hope one day, you’ll find someone who completes you the way your Daddy completes me.”  
  
Hadley snuffles sleepily against Seth’s chest, one of her hands fisted in Seth’s shirt. He rocks her for a few minutes, making sure she’s asleep, and when he finally takes his eyes off of her, he sees Dean in the doorway, a soft smile on his face.  
  
Seth feels his face heat up. “How long’ve you been there?” he asks, mindful to keep his voice quiet.  
  
Dean shrugs a shoulder. “Long enough.” He steps into the room, dragging his feet across the floor. “C’mon, lay her down. I wanna sleep.”  
  
Hadley doesn’t wake when Seth lays her down in her crib, her breathing quiet and even. He leaves the door cracked on his way out, Dean’s hand on the small of his back leading him to their bedroom.  
  
”When are we flyin’ out?” Dean asks. His hands have moved beneath Seth’s t-shirt, pushing it up until Seth has to lift his arms to remove it.  
  
”Tomorrow afternoon,” Seth says. It’s his turn to take off Dean’s shirt, but Dean’s quicker, slaps his hands away, shaking his head. “Hey, c’mon.” He keeps his voice soft, soothing, reaching out again for Dean’s shirt, but Dean just keeps shaking his head.  
  
”M’gettin’ fat again,” Dean says, crossing his arms over his chest, body language screaming how uncomfortable he is, how self-conscious he is.  
  
Seth steps closer, cradles Dean’s face in his hands. “You could gain a hundred more pounds, and I would not give a shit, Dean.” He brushes his lips over Dean’s, a soft, fleeting kiss. His hands move down to Dean’s belly, cradling the bump of their baby protectively in his hands. “But this? This isn’t fat, babe. This is our baby. You are bringing life into this world again, and I am so goddamn in love with you. I love seeing you grow, carrying our baby. You don’t have to hide anything from me. I love you, always.”  
  
Dean sniffles, hiding his face in the crook of Seth’s neck. He’s getting bigger at a faster rate this time around, and he was self-conscious enough with the previous pregnancy, Seth should’ve realized it was going to intensify this time.  
  
He guides Dean to the bed without breaking their embrace, pulling Dean down with him when he sits.  
  
”if it makes you feel more comfortable, you don’t have to take it off,” Seth says softly. “I won’t love or want you any less.”  
  
Dean shakes his head, lifts it to meets Seth’s eyes. “No,” he says, biting at his bottom lip. “It’s okay. I can.”  
  
Seth helps him remove his shirt, swallowing roughly at every inch of skin that’s revealed. Dean will never not be attractive to him, and he’s even more breathtaking carrying Seth’s child. There’s just enough light in the room to make out the darkened shade of Dean’s nipples, and it makes Seth’s breath catch in his throat, his heart hammering hard in his chest.  
  
This didn’t happen when Dean was pregnant with Hadley, which means that Dean is probably going to lactate this time.  
  
”Yeah, I know,” Dean says, an eyebrow raised, huffing out a small laugh. “Guess we’re gonna have to look into all that stuff now.”  
  
”I mean,” Seth says, licking his lips. His mouth feels desert dry. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want to, if it’s not something you’ll be comfortable doing.”  
  
Dean meets his eyes again. “You kiddin’? If my body can do this, I _want_ to do this.”  
  
There’s so much vehemence in his voice, Seth doesn’t bother trying to talk him out of it—not that he’d want to. He’d fantasized about Dean breastfeeding Hadley when he was pregnant with her, and now that he’ll more than likely be able to breastfeed their second child? Seth is pretty sure he’s going to die. Or walk around with a perma-boner.  
  
”It’s just—I wanna do everything I can to provide for our children, y’know? And I’m not workin’ anymore, and I know, I know we have enough money that we’ll never have to worry about it, but sometimes I feel so damn useless.”  
  
Seth shakes his head. “Dean, no.” He settles back against the pillows, pulling Dean with him so he’s between Seth’s legs, his back flush against Seth’s chest, their hands entwined on the curve of Dean’s belly.  
  
“You do so much. Taking care of Hadley on your own while carrying our second child? There’s nothing easy about that, babe,” Seth says, irritated and frustrated with himself that Dean feels this way, that he’s done nothing to allay Dean’s fears of being useless, that it never even occurred to him that Dean would feel that way. “I don’t care that you’re not working. I don’t. Like you said, we have more than enough money that we’ll never have to go without, that our kids will never have to go without. Maybe in a few years you can get back to wrestling, or you can find something behind the scenes to do. But don’t you dare think you’re useless, because you do so fucking much for this family.”  
  
Dean’s trembling against him, hands squeezing Seth’s a little too tight. “Okay,” he rasps out, “okay.”  
  
Seth holds him until the trembling subsides, stroking his thumbs over the taut skin of Dean’s stomach.  
  
”Can we sleep now?” Dean asks, voice soft and small. He still hates being vulnerable, hates showing any kind of emotion than can be deemed as weak. It’s one thing about him Seth is sure will never change, but he’s long since gotten over it. It’s who Dean is, as much a part of him as the blood pumping through his veins.  
  
”Yeah. Got a busy day tomorrow.”  
  
Dean shuffles over to his side of the bed, moving and shifting until he settles on his side. Seth moves in behind him, laying a protective arm over Dean.  
  
”I love you,” Seth says, placing a kiss to the nape of Dean’s neck, his shoulder.  
  
”Love you,” Dean says softly, already sounding half asleep.  
  
The bedside lamp is still on, but Seth’s too comfortable to move, surrounded by the scents and comforts of family and home.  
  
\--  
  
”You sure you wanna do this?” Seth asks, looking at Dean standing behind him in the mirror.  
  
”You’ve asked me a thousand times, Seth,” Dean says. “I’m as sure now as I was the last time, and the time before that.”  
  
They’ve been in Orlando for a day, and the most they’ve done is get everything Hadley needs set up and in place, as well as baby-proofing the room as much as possible. Today, though, is a media day, and Seth’s required to do a handful of interviews before the autograph signings. He didn’t think Dean would want to go, especially not with Hadley, but Dean was surprisingly on board, and he’s been ready for an hour, in a pair of dark blue jeans and one of Seth’s new shirts, Hadley in a specially made baby sized version, her diaper bag slung over his shoulder.  
  
”You don’t think we match too much?” Seth asks, turning to face Dean. He’s wearing the same shirt Dean and Hadley are, and his jeans are a pair of black skinnies.  
  
”S’cute,” Dean says with a shrug. “Everyone’s gonna go nuts. Think Vince’ll shit a brick about it?”  
  
Seth shrugs back. “I don’t think so, but who knows with him.”  
  
”You finally ready?” Dean asks.  
  
Seth rolls his eyes. “Yes, Dean, I’m finally ready. You want me to hold Hadley?”  
  
”I’ve got her, but if you think your knee’ll hold up, sure.”  
  
Seth lifts Hadley off the floor, settling her on his hip. Dean worries too much. Yeah, his knee is still giving him some pain, but he’ll never pass up the chance to carry his daughter. “Ready to go, Hadley-bug?”  
  
Hadley nods, patting Seth’s face excitedly. “Go!” she says around the fingers in her mouth.  
  
There’s a car waiting out front for them when they make it outside, a carseat already installed, and it only takes a minute to get Hadley buckled in, her diaper bag stored in the footwell.  
  
”So,” Seth says, turning in his seat to face Dean. “That shirt is not hiding your stomach at all.”  
  
Dean smirks. “I know.”  
  
Well, then. “Oh, we’re making the announcement today?”  
  
”Why’d you think I wanted to come along?” Dean asks, grinning.  
  
Dean never ceases to surprise him. Seth had thought Dean would want to keep it a secret until the baby was born, until they found out what they’re having—in a week, seven days, they find out if Hadley is going to have a little sister or a little brother—and Dean wanting to make the announcement now, during WrestleMania weekend? Even though he’s out of action, Dean is going to get his WrestleMania moment.  
  
God, Seth loves him.  
  
”You’re a lunatic, Dean Ambrose,” Seth says, laughing and shaking his head.  
  
”And don’t you forget it.” Dean laughs softly, tip of his tongue sticking out the way it does whenever he finds something amusing.  
  
The car rolls to a stop soon after, and Seth’s unbuckling Hadley, frowning at how sleepy she seems. They’re going to end up being out way past her naptime, and it’s going to make for a very crabby baby.  
  
”Let’s do this,” Dean says, clapping his hands together.  
  
Seth can’t hide his grin. Dean is way too excited, and Seth is so damn in love.  
  
There’s a carpet rolled out, leading into the part of the building where the autograph sessions are being held, and it’s lined with interviewers, other superstars already making their way down the line.  
  
”You’re sure you don’t mind them videoing or taking pictures of Hadley?” Seth asks once again, just to be certain.  
  
”Seth,” Dean says, raising an eyebrow, “you’ve been postin’ a billion pictures of her a day since she was born.”  
  
”Point,” Seth says with a nod. “Alright, let’s do this.”  
  
The first handful interviewers are from radio stations and YouTube channels. Dean stays in the background with Hadley, conveniently using her diaper bag to hide his bump. None of the interviewers seem brave enough to ask about her or Dean, even though their eyes keep drifting off behind Seth to where they’re standing.  
  
Dean doesn’t come forward until they reach Renee Young, and Seth takes Hadley into his arms, giving her a sloppy wet kiss on her cheek that makes her giggle and screech.  
  
Renee’s face lights up when she sees them, a look of surprise crossing her features. “Seth,” she says warmly, and Seth can’t hold back the grin when her eyes move to Dean and Hadley. “Dean, it’s great to see you, and who is this beautiful princess?”  
  
”This,” Seth says proudly, “is our Hadley-bug. Can you say hi, Hadley?”  
  
”Hi,” Hadley parrots, waving her hand about. She hides her face against Seth’s chest immediately after, her shyness making itself known.  
  
”She is too cute, you guys,” Renee says, looking completely enthralled. “How’s parent life been treating you?”  
  
Dean puts a hand on Seth’s back, grinning down at Renee. “It’s been great, honestly,” he says. “Hadley is the best thing to ever happen to us.”  
  
Seth nods in agreement. “Being on the road sucks,” he interjects, frowning. “I feel like I’ve missed so much of her first year, y’know? But, like Dean said, she’s the best thing to ever happen to us.”  
  
”Well,” Dean says, grinning slyly, “one of the best things to ever happen to us.”  
  
”Oh?” Renee sounds confused, her head tilted to the side.  
  
”Our family is getting bigger,” Dean says, putting a hand on his stomach. Seth’s a little taken aback. He never would have thought Dean would make such a stereotypical move.  
  
Renee’s eyes widen. “Really?” Her voice squeaks, like she can’t contain the excitement.  
  
”Yes, ma’am,” Seth says with a nod.  
  
”Baby number two is due in August,” Dean informs her, rocking back and forth on his feet. Seth knows the morning sickness is pretty much gone, but watching Dean sway back and forth is making him a little nauseous.  
  
”Do you know what you’re having yet?”  
  
”We find out next week,” Dean replies, “but I’m hopin’ it’s a boy.”  
  
Seth hopes it’s a boy, too. He loves Hadley, loves her with every fiber of his being, every bit of his soul, but he wants a boy as well.  
  
”Seth? You hoping for a boy, too?” Renee asks, turning her attention to him.  
  
Seth shrugs, giving her a grin. “I just want him or her to be healthy.”  
  
”That means he’s hopin’ for a boy, too,” Dean butts in, laughing at the affronted look Seth gives him. “What? M’just tellin’ the truth, babe.”  
  
”Dada,” Hadley says, her hands on her tummy, looking up at him with Dean’s blueblue eyes.  
  
”I’ll take her,” Dean says quietly, hefting Hadley out of his arms easily. “Finish your interview. We’ll be inside waiting for you.”  
  
Dean excuses himself with a polite nod and farewell to Renee, after which she wishes him well on the duration of his pregnancy.  
  
”You are a lucky man, Seth Rollins,” Renee says with a soft smile. “A beautiful daughter, a baby on the way, a wonderful man, and one hell of a career so far.”  
  
Seth feels his face heat up. “Yeah,” he says softly. He knows how lucky he is, how fortunate he is, and sometimes he’s still blown away that he has all of this. “But how close I came to almost not having it at all,” he continues, shaking his head. He hates going back, hates having to relive the biggest mistake of his life, how life seemed so bleak, there at the top with no one to share it with, stuck trying to appease someone who couldn’t have cared less about him, only what he could do, what he could provide for them. He was a puppet, easily replaceable.  
  
”How are you feeling? You’ve had some issues with your knee over the last couple months. How’s it holding up?”  
  
”It’s been better,” Seth says, “but it’ll hold up to get the job done. And even if it doesn’t, I’ll fight him on one leg, I don’t care. This has been a long time coming, and nothing is going to keep me from that ring on Sunday, from ending this once and for all.”  
  
Renee’s looking at him with a sad smile, like she wants to protest Seth getting in the ring if he’s not 100%. The only thing, the absolute only thing that would be able to stop him would be if something were wrong with Hadley, or if something were wrong with Dean, and they’re both okay, they’re both perfect.  
  
”Good luck Sunday night, Seth, and congratulations on the expansion of your family. Let me know when you find out what you’re having?” It’s a gentle request, one that Seth almost wishes he could give a better answer to.  
  
”I’m afraid that decision is up to Dean, but thank you, thank you,” Seth says graciously, giving Renee a polite smile before he walks away, ducking inside to find where Dean and Hadley have disappeared off to.  
  
Seth finds them seated off to the side, a spread of Hadley’s food covering the table. She has banana smeared across her mouth, covering her hand, and she grins up at Seth when he sits down beside them, offering him a mashed up piece. He pretends to gobble it up, making overexaggerated eating sounds as he brings her hand to his mouth.  
  
”Thank you, Hadley-bug,” Seth says, tickling her belly. The sound of her giggles will never fail to make him grin.  
  
”That went pretty well, I think,” Dean says, starting to clean up the table.  
  
Seth raises an eyebrow. “That was pretty showy of you,” he says. “A lot bolder than I thought you’d go for.”  
  
”Nah,” Dean says, shaking his head. “Pretty sure everyone was starin’ at my stomach, anyway. Didn’t exactly wear a shirt to hide it, and it’s pretty obvious, even if you’re not lookin’ for it.”  
  
Dean is still wearing his regular sized shirts, which, with the size of his stomach, are pretty damn tight. There’s no hiding his bump in them.  
  
”Fair point,” Seth concedes. “Y’all gonna stay for the autograph session, or you gonna take her back to the hotel so she can get her nap in?”  
  
As much as Seth would love them to stay, Hadley needs her nap.  
  
”How long is it?” Dean asks, trying to keep Hadley from bouncing out of his lap. She has endless amounts of energy after eating, and all she wants to do is get up and run around.  
  
Seth takes her from Dean, tickling her to distract her from wanting to get down. “A couple hours, at least,” he says, unsure of the actual timeframe. Sometimes it runs late.  
  
”We’ll hang out for a bit. If she starts gettin’ crabby and tired, I’ll head back to the hotel with her.”  
  
There’s a curtained off area behind the autograph table, and that’s where Seth leaves Dean and Hadley, some of her toys spread out on the floor, Dean sitting cross-legged with her, keeping her focus on him so she won’t see that Seth’s leaving.  
  
Seth’s distracted throughout the autograph session, his attention pulled to Hadley’s laughs and shrieks of delight.  
  
”Is that your daughter back there?” The girl in front of him looks nervous, her voice trembling, her hands shaking as she slides a shirt across the table for him to sign.  
  
Seth smiles up at her. “Yeah, it is.” She’s the first person to have asked, despite all the noise Hadley’s been making back there.  
  
”Is Dean here, too?”  
  
Seth gives her a slight nod. “Yeah, he is.”  
  
”Do you think—could he—” the girl sighs, shakes her head. “Never mind.”  
  
Seth doesn’t know why he didn’t think of that before. Dean doesn’t have to sit in the back with Hadley. Sure, the autograph signing is almost halfway through, but the line is still long enough, and he’s sure there are plenty of people who would give their left foot to see Dean, to have Dean sign something for them.  
  
”Gimme a sec,” Seth says. “Don’t go anywhere.”  
  
He slips behind the curtain, where Dean and Hadley are still playing on the floor.  
  
”Dada,” Hadley says, done with the toys now that Seth’s there. She gets to her feet, her steps still a little unsteady as she toddles over to him, holding her arms up and out so Seth will pick her up.  
  
”You done already?” Dean asks, putting her toys back into her diaper bag.  
  
Seth shakes his head, adjusting Hadley against his hip. “Was actually hoping you’d wanna join me for the rest?”  
  
Dean looks up at him in surprise. “You sure? What about Hadley?”  
  
”It’s a family affair, babe. All of this, this match, everything, it’s all about our family. I want you and Hadley out there with me,” Seth says softly, holding his hand out for Dean to use to leverage himself up.  
  
”If you’re sure,” Dean says, brushing off his jeans. He sets Hadley’s diaper bag off to the side, out of the way of everyone else.  
  
”C’mon,” Seth says softly, the hand not holding onto Hadley on the small of Dean’s back, guiding him out through the curtain to the table.  
  
The girl from before is still standing there, and her eyes widen in what Seth assumes is surprise and shock when she sees Dean and Hadley coming out with him. He takes his seat back at the table, glad that there’s already another chair there from an earlier session, Dean pulling it over until it’s right next to him. Hadley sits easily in his lap, her face once again buried in his chest.  
  
”You guys make the cutest family,” she says shyly, her cheeks pinking up. “And your daughter is beautiful.”  
  
”It’s because she looks like Seth,” Dean says, nodding his head. “Those looks are all him.”  
  
Seth shakes his head, feels his own face start to redden. He slides the shirt over to Dean, and Dean scribbles his signature right next to Seth’s before sliding it back. “Those eyes and dimples are all you,” Seth says.  
  
The girl laughs softly at their interaction, thanking them profusely before she walks away.  
  
What seemed like a restless line is now reinvigorated, probably by the appearance of Dean and Hadley. Everyone’s quick to comment on how beautiful and cute Hadley is, while being a little in awe that Dean is there. It was only supposed to be Seth, and he’s sure he’ll probably get his ass reamed for having Dean there with him.  
  
The line finally starts to dwindle after another hour. Hadley is asleep against his chest, and Dean doesn’t look like he’s fairing much better. He’s so used to napping when Hadley does, and he needs those naps now.  
  
”You okay?” Seth asks, keeping his voice quiet.  
  
Dean nods minutely. “Just a little tired is all,” he says.  
  
He powers through the rest of the session with Seth, though, and when the last person makes it through the line, he stands up and stretches, his arms high over his head, his shirt riding up and baring the lower half of his belly.  
  
Seth’s breath catches in his throat. Fuck, but Dean’s gorgeous.  
  
”All done here?” Dean asks, rubbing at his face tiredly.  
  
”Yeah,” Seth replies. “I’ll grab her bag, hang on.”  
  
Dean’s dead on his feet as Seth leads him back out to the car, and he falls asleep before the driver has even taken off, before Seth has even managed to get Hadley strapped in.  
  
Seth looks at them fondly, heart squeezing in his chest. He loves them, so much, would do anything and everything for them, no matter the consequences.  
  
And he does just that two nights later, with a flu that came out of nowhere, and a knee that’s seen better days, Dean and Hadley sitting front row.  
  
The king is slayed, and Seth can breathe.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this finished since April of '18, and sat on it forever, debating on whether or not I wanted to post it. But...I've read it, reread, and rereread it, and it's time to let it go out into the world.
> 
> This is the final entry of the series, the final part that will ever be written. Thank you to every single one of you for coming on this journey with me. I love and appreciate every single one of you.


End file.
